The Brown Rat is strain of rat that has remained dominant for hundreds of years. Many people have become confused as to where the Brown Rat truly originated from as many people believe they were from North America and parts of Europe. However, the Brown Rat actually originated from Northern China and Mongolia. Of course the Brown Rat has had its changes over the years, and through breeding different strains of the Brown Rat have been created such as the Albino Rat, which is commonly known as the Lab Rat for its common use in experiments. The Brown Rat has never died out, but has managed to evolve enough to remain a living organism today. The following report will outline the Habitat, Structural Adaptations, Behavioral Adaptations and Physiological Adaptations of ancestors of the Brown Rat.
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Mammalia
Order
Rodentia
Family
Muridae
Subfamily
Murinae
Genus
Rattus
Species
R. Norvegicus
Head
Contains the Brown Rat's eyes, brain, ears, mouth and nose. Has always been a very important part of the Brown Rat.
Eye
An organ found in the head, which converts light into electro-chemical impulses, allowing the Brown Rat to see. They have always been very useful to the Brown Rat
Pinna
The outer part of the ear, it collects sound and makes it travel further into the Brown Rats ear.
Vibrissae
Commonly known as "Whiskers ". The long hair like stalks usually found around the mouth and nose on the Brown Rat, as well as a few smaller ones on the feet. The Brown Rat has always used them to sense things and vibrations in the area.
External Nares
The outer part of the nostril, has been used by the Brown Rat to smell.
Manus
The "hand" or "claw"of the Brown Rat. Has been used to pick up things and helps it to crawl.
Antebrachium
The fore-arm of the Brown Rat, found between its wrist and its elbow.
Pes
The Latin word for foot. Always used in Zoology terms for the hind leg of the animal. In this case it is one of the Brown Rats two back feet.
Brachium
The arm of the Brown Rat, right above the Antebrachium.
Thorax
A part of the Brown Rat between the abdomen and the head . Works as part of the rib cage and helps secure the heart and lungs of the Brown Rat. Would have been much larger when the Brown Rat was still on occasion much bigger.
Abdomen
The belly of the Brown Rat, situated between the thorax and the pelvis. It has always helped to secure the stomach.
Femur
Much like the thigh bone in a human, the Femur has always been an important part in helping the Brown Rat to walk and move around.
Tail
The long worm like part of the Brown Rat stationed at the back, right above the anus. The Brown Rat's tail is very important. It has been used very well to help it balance when it was crawling across ledges and thin places.
Crus
The Crus is much like the Anterbrachium in the arm, but in the leg of the Brown Rat. It is situated right between the ankle and the knee.
Habitat
Originating from Northern China and Mongolia, the Brown Rat would of lived more often in its natural habitat. The Brown Rat would have made burrows in damp places similar to river banks and such. These burrows would of been deep tunnels in which large groups of Brown Rats would of lived in together, in which they would groom one another and store food. The Brown Rat has always found living with humans to make survival much easier for them. The Brown Rat has always found ways to keep a good distance, as well as a good presence around humans, as man-made structures like homes and buildings usually help to keep the Brown Rat warm. With humans usually comes a food source, so living around humans would of been an easy way for the Brown Rat to maintain a food source.
A map of Northern China, the origin place of the Brown Rat.
Sewers have always been a home to the Brown Rat. This is because they are damp, well built and dark places. So the Brown Rat has been living in these since they were first made. Coming over from Northern China and Mongolia, the Brown Rat would have spent a long time living on boats and ships as it migrated to North America or Europe. The Brown Rats first choice on these ships would have been the base of the boat, it would have been the dampest, darkest and lowest part of the boat making it the ideal spot for the Rat. As you may have noticed, The Brown Rat prefers to live lower from everything. This may be because there is the garuntee that nothing can come from below, but is more likely because it gives the Brown Rat a good sight of everything below humans as well as making it easier for the Brown Rat to sneak about and scavenge.
Structural Adaptations
Over the years the Brown Rat would have made many different structural adaptations. The first being its skeleton. Nowadays the Brown Rat is able to stretch itself through places one quater of its size, but it is more than likely that this has been an adaptation over a few hundred years. A long time ago the Brown Rat would have remained quite a small size but would have been quite thick. Its body would not have been able to stretch as long as it can now, and it would have been quite hard upon touch.
Another structural adaptation over the years would have been its size. Originally the Brown Rat would have been much larger than it is today. This is evident because over the years there have been many uncommon reports on Brown Rats the size of a small cat! These reports may have been simply made up to spark attention, but it is highly likely that a long time ago the Brown Rat was a much larger size than it is today.
A drawing of the Brown Rat during
the Black Plague.
Behavioral Adaptations
In 18th century Europe, a sport was created called Rat Baiting. It involved 100 rats being put into a pit with a dog, and people would place bets to see how long it took the dog to kill all of the rats. This sport went on as a form of entertainment for about seventy years, until it was eventually banned by the government. During this time, Brown Rats (along with its cousin the Black Rat) were bred as much as possible to make more games happen as fast as they could. For this reason, thousands of rats were set free and it is very possible that this is what brought on the rapid spread of the black plague, which was not carried by the Brown Rats themselves, but rather the flea that lived in the Brown Rats fur. Once these large groups of Brown Rats were let free, they began to live together in large colonies of rats, bundled up tightly within sewer, and living in groups in small hiding spots. It is for this reason that today the Brown Rat lives in large groups, similar to large families .
A group of people watching and enjoying a game
of Rat Bating, a sport banned after 70 years.
Due to the large groups of Brown Rats living together, food has definitely become an issue. Overtime the Brown Rats have adapted to work together in groups as to achieve different goals. The Brown Rats currently divide themselves into teams within their groups. Almost like a bunch of families living under one roof. One group of Brown Rats will go out to look for food and return with whatever they can find, and then the next time someone is to go out looking for food, it will be the next familie/teams turn to go out. This is a good way for there to be a balance within the groups, and is a method that would have been adapted over a long period of time.
Physiological Adaptations
When migrating from Northern China to America, it is highly likely that when found the Brown Rat would be eaten or thrown overboard. But nowadays the Brown Rat is a very talented swimmer, both underwater and above water. Through being drowned, or swimming to safety, the Brown Rat would have adapted its muscles to make them much better swimmers than they once were. This is another reason that today the Brown Rat lives and breeds in places like the sewer (another reason as to why they are good swimmers).
So it is for all of these, and many more reasons, that the Brown Rat has evolved, adapted and changed itself over the years to become the Brown Rat that it is today.
For my future Brown Rat please refer to the following: The Animadverto Per Rattus Norvegicus
For my page on the present day Brown Rat please click on the following: The Brown Rat
The Brown Rat is strain of rat that has remained dominant for hundreds of years. Many people have become confused as to where the Brown Rat truly originated from as many people believe they were from North America and parts of Europe. However, the Brown Rat actually originated from Northern China and Mongolia. Of course the Brown Rat has had its changes over the years, and through breeding different strains of the Brown Rat have been created such as the Albino Rat, which is commonly known as the Lab Rat for its common use in experiments. The Brown Rat has never died out, but has managed to evolve enough to remain a living organism today. The following report will outline the Habitat, Structural Adaptations, Behavioral Adaptations and Physiological Adaptations of ancestors of the Brown Rat.
Head
Contains the Brown Rat's eyes, brain, ears, mouth and nose. Has always been a very important part of the Brown Rat.
Habitat
Originating from Northern China and Mongolia, the Brown Rat would of lived more often in its natural habitat. The Brown Rat would have made burrows in damp places similar to river banks and such. These burrows would of been deep tunnels in which large groups of Brown Rats would of lived in together, in which they would groom one another and store food. The Brown Rat has always found living with humans to make survival much easier for them. The Brown Rat has always found ways to keep a good distance, as well as a good presence around humans, as man-made structures like homes and buildings usually help to keep the Brown Rat warm. With humans usually comes a food source, so living around humans would of been an easy way for the Brown Rat to maintain a food source.A map of Northern China, the origin place of the Brown Rat.
Sewers have always been a home to the Brown Rat. This is because they are damp, well built and dark places. So the Brown Rat has been living in these since they were first made. Coming over from Northern China and Mongolia, the Brown Rat would have spent a long time living on boats and ships as it migrated to North America or Europe. The Brown Rats first choice on these ships would have been the base of the boat, it would have been the dampest, darkest and lowest part of the boat making it the ideal spot for the Rat. As you may have noticed, The Brown Rat prefers to live lower from everything. This may be because there is the garuntee that nothing can come from below, but is more likely because it gives the Brown Rat a good sight of everything below humans as well as making it easier for the Brown Rat to sneak about and scavenge.
Structural Adaptations
Over the years the Brown Rat would have made many different structural adaptations. The first being its skeleton. Nowadays the Brown Rat is able to stretch itself through places one quater of its size, but it is more than likely that this has been an adaptation over a few hundred years. A long time ago the Brown Rat would have remained quite a small size but would have been quite thick. Its body would not have been able to stretch as long as it can now, and it would have been quite hard upon touch.Another structural adaptation over the years would have been its size. Originally the Brown Rat would have been much larger than it is today. This is evident because over the years there have been many uncommon reports on Brown Rats the size of a small cat! These reports may have been simply made up to spark attention, but it is highly likely that a long time ago the Brown Rat was a much larger size than it is today.
A drawing of the Brown Rat during
the Black Plague.
Behavioral Adaptations
In 18th century Europe, a sport was created called Rat Baiting. It involved 100 rats being put into a pit with a dog, and people would place bets to see how long it took the dog to kill all of the rats. This sport went on as a form of entertainment for about seventy years, until it was eventually banned by the government. During this time, Brown Rats (along with its cousin the Black Rat) were bred as much as possible to make more games happen as fast as they could. For this reason, thousands of rats were set free and it is very possible that this is what brought on the rapid spread of the black plague, which was not carried by the Brown Rats themselves, but rather the flea that lived in the Brown Rats fur. Once these large groups of Brown Rats were let free, they began to live together in large colonies of rats, bundled up tightly within sewer, and living in groups in small hiding spots. It is for this reason that today the Brown Rat lives in large groups, similar to large families .A group of people watching and enjoying a game
of Rat Bating, a sport banned after 70 years.
Due to the large groups of Brown Rats living together, food has definitely become an issue. Overtime the Brown Rats have adapted to work together in groups as to achieve different goals. The Brown Rats currently divide themselves into teams within their groups. Almost like a bunch of families living under one roof. One group of Brown Rats will go out to look for food and return with whatever they can find, and then the next time someone is to go out looking for food, it will be the next familie/teams turn to go out. This is a good way for there to be a balance within the groups, and is a method that would have been adapted over a long period of time.
Physiological Adaptations
When migrating from Northern China to America, it is highly likely that when found the Brown Rat would be eaten or thrown overboard. But nowadays the Brown Rat is a very talented swimmer, both underwater and above water. Through being drowned, or swimming to safety, the Brown Rat would have adapted its muscles to make them much better swimmers than they once were. This is another reason that today the Brown Rat lives and breeds in places like the sewer (another reason as to why they are good swimmers).So it is for all of these, and many more reasons, that the Brown Rat has evolved, adapted and changed itself over the years to become the Brown Rat that it is today.
Written by Declan Boyd
For my bibliography, please go to the following: Declan's Bibliography !!